Python Tkinter throwing Tcl error

Question

I am learning basic GUI in Python, and I came across a sample example to read file name from file explorer on Stack Overflow.

from Tkinter import Tk
from tkFileD         


        

Answer 1

You just need to copy two folders from tcl folder to the Lib folder

tcl8.5 and tk8.5

Answer 2

If you are hitting this kind of error in a python -m venv NAME kind of virtual environment (and you actually have tcl installed in your system), then you need to export the paths similarly as suggested by Kamil Czerski in a previous post for virtualenv.

1. To find out what are your TK and TCL paths, run a python script outside of the venv (source):

import tkinter
root = tkinter.Tk()   
print(root.tk.exprstring('$tcl_library'))   
print(root.tk.exprstring('$tk_library'))

2. Open your venv configuration file bin/activate and find the place where they export PATH and insert after this (insert correct paths from step 1):

TCL_LIBRARY="/tcl/path/from/step/1"   
TK_LIBRARY="/tk/path/from/step/1"   
TKPATH="/tk/path/from/step/1"  
export TCL_LIBRARY TK_LIBRARY TKPATH

3. Deactivate (if it was activated) and source again your venv:

deactivate  
source bin/activate

The "Tcl missing"-error should be gone.

Answer 3

Hit a similar problem after installing Activestate Python and TCL. I found the following page solved the problem for me: ActiveState Python install problem. The fix was to copy the contents of C:\Python27\tcl into C:\Python27\Lib.

Another potential solution (given by user i-shenl in a different ActiveState thread on the same issue) is to set the environment variable $TCL_LIBRARY to point to the tcl library folder ("C:/Python27/tcl", in the question). If you set this system-wide or account-wide (via System Properties), it will affect other programs that use a TCL Library (if any are installed). If you're using Powershell, you can set this variable in your profile to limit its affects to programs run from the shell.

Answer 4

All you need to do is copy tcl 8.6 and tcl 8.5 from tcl file to Lib file on in python. Python-tcl-tcl8.5 to Python-Lib

Answer 5

Go to directory in which all of your python dependencies are stored

Example:

Python37 
  -DLLs
  -Doc
  -etc
  -include
  -Lib
  -libs
  -Scripts
  -tcl
  -python.exe

Go to tcl folder, copy the tcl8.5 and tk8.5 folder Paste these folders in the Lib folder

This solution works for Windows 10 users

Answer 6

I hit the same problem on Ubuntu 17.04 with virtualenvwrapper for 64 bit Python 2.7

I add tk and tcl library paths in local postactivate script

1. Go to your virtualenv: workon your-env-name
2. Edit local postactiave script with your favourite editor, for ex: gedit $VIRTUAL_ENV/bin/postactivate

3. Locate tk and tcl library paths. In postactivate script, export TK_LIBRARY and TCL_LIBRARY with appropriate paths. Add this lines to your script with modified paths:

   TK_LIBRARY=/home/kamil/anaconda2/pkgs/tk-8.5 TKPATH=/home/kamil/anaconda2/pkgs/tk-8.5 TCL_LIBRARY=/home/kamil/anaconda2/lib/tcl8.5 export TCL_LIBRARY TK_LIBRARY TKPATH

4. Restart your virtualenv: deactivate and workon your-env-name again.